Tuscarawas County's receipts from tax on motel rooms way up

Dee Grossman, executive director of the Tuscarawas County Visitors and Convention Bureau, said Monday that receipts for January through June totaled $102,940. That’s in contrast to the first six months of 2010, when $78,607 was collected from the 3 percent bed tax.

Times Reporter

Writer

Posted Aug. 9, 2011 at 12:01 AM
Updated Aug 9, 2011 at 9:17 AM

Posted Aug. 9, 2011 at 12:01 AM
Updated Aug 9, 2011 at 9:17 AM

NEW PHILADELPHIA

Lodging tax receipts in Tuscarawas County are up 31 percent for the first six months of 2011, putting the hospitality industry on track to set a record.

Dee Grossman, executive director of the Tuscarawas County Visitors and Convention Bureau, said Monday that receipts for January through June totaled $102,940. That’s in contrast to the first six months of 2010, when $78,607 was collected from the 3 percent bed tax.

These receipts were collected from the 19 hotels, motels and inns in Tuscarawas County that have at least 10 rooms.

The midyear lodging-receipt total for 2011 reflects a 12 percent increase from the first six months of 2008, when $91,875 was collected. That had been Tuscarawas County’s biggest tourism year, Grossman said.

Grossman suspects a portion of this year’s increase is coming from oil and gas workers doing research at the Tuscarawas County Courthouse for mineral rights leases. She said 100 to 110 of these employees are using local hotels on weekday nights, staying mostly in New Philadelphia, Dover and Sugarcreek.

She attributes the biggest increases in hotel lodging to increased marketing efforts by the Convention and Visitors Bureau, drawing more visitors from elsewhere across Ohio.

"Our job, first and foremost, is to market this community's rich history, heritage and culture to visitors,” Grossman said. “With additional lodging tax revenue we will once again be ramping up our marketing program for 2012.

“We are projecting an additional $20,000 in revenue. We are going to use that increase to further market the county. We will continue with the co-op marketing program that we started this year, we will make additional ad buys, attend travel shows and golf shows and will continue our partnership with the state of Ohio and the ‘Too Much Fun for Just One Day Mobile’. Last year, these consumer-driven shows generated more than 3,000 leads in the Cincinnati, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Indianapolis and Cleveland markets.

“And with the additional 4,000 leads from the Alive!2011 show at Atwood Lake Park, the remainder of this year and on into next year should be full, fun and fantastic."

Sabrina Dietrich, general manager of the Schoenbrunn Inn in New Philadelphia, said she has noticed an increase in sales at her hotel over the prior year. She has especially seen an increase in business customers and is optimistic that room occupancy will be strong the rest of the year.

“It’s definitely going to be good through the winter,” Dietrich said. “Even with the Football Hall of Fame game canceled, we were still full.”